De Rossi wants Roma stay

De Rossi is out of contract in the summer and has been strongly linked with a move to Manchester City, while Real Madrid, Manchester United and Inter Milan are also said to be monitoring the situation.

Yet while the parties appear to be unable to come to an agreement over a release clause, it appears the 28-year-old has little intention of moving on from his hometown club.

"Roma cannot have failed to notice the English and Spanish calls, but De Rossi is Roman and a Romanista, so even if sentiment doesn't always have a place in football, I think he'll reach an agreement with Roma," agent Claudio Pasqualin told Radio Radio. "It's also true because, if he didn't, then Roma would have to give up many of their ambitions."

Later in the day, though, Pasqualin told Retesport: "Maybe I was a little over the top with my optimism. The release clause is one of the contentious issues, so we could see a compromise.

"De Rossi wants to stay at Roma, even if as a professional he wants to optimise his situation. The contract expires in June and there is sufficient time for the situation to evolve.

"At the end of the day, this matter must conclude with what the player wants. An agent can work like crazy to convince his client of another solution, but it's always the player who puts pen to paper."

Roberto Mancini, who called the midfielder "the perfect fit for Man City", has also suggested he expects De Rossi to stay put despite the recent revelation he has been learning English.

"De Rossi is a top player, but he plays for Roma, a top team, and he was born there," he said. "I don't know if he will leave."